Chasing Goblins
by Otterbot
Summary: I swore I'd never do a crossover, yet here it is...a LabyrinthX-Files crossover! ;)


**Title:** Chasing Goblins  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?), and the X-Files and all its characters belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story!  
**Summary:** My attempt at not only a crossover, but humor as well..yeah, I know the humor part didn't work so well. ;)  
**A/N:** Just a little break from my other story! If any of you watch the X-Files enough to know Mulder's history, then I think (or at least HOPE) you'll agree that his situation fits in with the Labyrinth storyline rather well! I don't know if a story like this has been done before, but anyway, I hope ya like it! ;) It's short, so you won't be sitting here too long, hehe!  
  
  


* * *

  
  


# Chasing Goblins

  
  
"Agent Mulder."  
  
Fox Mulder looked up from what he was doing when someone said his name. It was one of the younger agents in the Bureau, a tall man with dusty blond hair and premature crow's feet at the corners of his hazel eyes. Apparently, he was one of the types who took everything too seriously and stressed out a lot.  
  
"Yes?" Mulder prodded, when it was apparent the other agent wasn't going to speak until spoken to.  
  
"I was instructed to bring this to you." The man held up a small box, which was filled with various items. He stepped further into the room and placed it on a somewhat-uncluttered part of Mulder's desk.  
  
"What's all this?" Mulder demanded, plucking a vintage Barbie doll from the top of the pile. "Is this some kind of joke?" He looked at the blond-haired doll in his hand and shook his head ruefully. What did anyone expect him to do with it? Play dollies?  
  
"Everything in the box…belonged to your sister." The agent-whose name badge read 'Agent James Davis'-watched Mulder as though watching some strange and unpredictable animal. "It was thought that you might want these items."  
  
Mulder was struck silent for a few moments. Samantha? How had they found these items? Or, more appropriately, _where_ had they found them? He glanced once more at the Barbie, almost reverently, and then set it down on his desk. "Thank you," he said at last, his tone of voice clearly conveying that it was time for Agent Davis to leave. The man left without a sound, and Mulder began looking through the items in the box. It wasn't a very large box, and there weren't too many items inside: mostly just toys and doll clothes. However, as he got to the bottom of the box, his fingers brushed what felt like hard leather. Curious, he peered inside and pulled out a small book.  
  
The book was bound in red leather, with golden scrollwork around the edges and embossed letters which read 'The Labyrinth'. Intrigued, Mulder opened the book to the first page and read the first few lines. The story seemed familiar somehow…he must have read it to Samantha when they were younger. She had always loved to read, when she wasn't pestering her older brother. By the third page, Mulder was completely engrossed in the story, and forgot all about the report that was due that afternoon.  
  
That evening, after being yelled at by Skinner and reproached by Scully, Mulder retired to his apartment and continued reading the book. As he continued reading, however, he felt his eyelids grow heavy, and before long he had fallen asleep. That was when the nightmare began.  
  
He was standing on a flat, sandy plateau, shielding his eyes against the sun which was set in a red-orange sky. To his left and right were nothing but rocks and dead trees, but below him stretched the most impressive, winding maze he'd ever seen. The maze went on for miles, surrounding a castle which, even at this distance, looked intimidating. Mulder rubbed wearily at his eyes, turning away from the sight below him. He'd been reading too much of that book! What was next: the Goblin King himself?  
  
As though cued, there was a whirlwind of wind and glitter to Mulder's left. The agent put his arm up over his face as the glitter swirled like a dust storm, and when he finally opened his eyes…he laughed. "Is Shakespeare playing tonight? Or are you supposed to be Peter Pan?"  
  
The stranger was clad in a white, ruffled shirt; dark blue jacket, and tight gray leggings. His ash-blond hair was styled like something straight out of the eighties, and he was wearing enough eye makeup to make any Avon lady proud. He was also looking quite irritated at Mulder's amused expression. "Shut up!" he said finally, succeeding only in reducing Mulder's laughter to a wide grin. "Do you have any idea who I am?"  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"Well, maybe _this_ will help jog your memory." A crystal suddenly appeared in the man's hand, and was soon floating toward Mulder. The bemused agent stared into the crystal's depths and gasped when he saw the face of Samantha inside. The stranger smirked when he saw that his trick had worked. "You recognize _her_ at least. Very good. I thought you might have forgotten about her by now."  
  
"What have you done with her, you sonuva-"  
  
"What have I _done_ with her?" He repeated in mock surprise. "Why Fox"-He chuckled in amusement at the ridiculous name-"I did exactly what you asked me to do; I took her away to my castle!"  
  
"Huh?" Mulder looked confused. "Are you trying to tell me that _you're_ the Goblin King?"  
  
"No, I'm Spanky the Circus Clown." Jareth rolled his eyes. "_Yes,_ I'm the Goblin King! And you wished that the goblins would take your sister away, which they did. It was so much easier to mollify you than it was that…_Sarah_…" He gave an almost imperceptible shudder. "But now I guess you want your sister back."  
  
"Damn right I do! I _never_ wished my sister away! Are you out of your mind? Give her back!"  
  
"You're being terribly ungrateful, _Fox._ After all I've done for you! I gave you your dreams. You have more porn videos than an adult video store. You have the most attractive agent in the FBI working as your partner-though I must say, I can't believe you haven't put a move on her yet. And you're paid to chase aliens all the time, while other people have to actually _work_ to earn the money that you do. You have everything, and yet you want your sister back? Why?"  
  
Once again, Mulder was struck silent. Could he have _really_ asked the Goblin King to take Samantha away? Then why couldn't he remember? And why wouldn't he have gone after her? Suddenly remembering the words from that book, Mulder looked back at the Goblin King and clenched his fists at his sides. "You have no power over me!"  
  
Jareth started laughing. "Is that it?" he asked challengingly. Before Mulder could reply, his form started to fade away in another flurry of glitter. "It's too late for you, _Fox._ Go home to your video collection. Such a pity…" And then he was gone, and Mulder woke up.  
  
The next day at work, Mulder asked Scully to pull out the file he'd made for his sister so many years ago. The red-headed agent looked at him with an expression of sad concern. "Why do you want to look through that file again?" she asked. "You said yourself that you saw Samantha, and that she's in a better place. There's no use going through all that pain again."  
  
"But Scully, she's not dead!" Mulder exclaimed. "She was taken by the Goblin King! I wished her away when we were younger, but I forgot all about it because Jareth offered me my dreams and I accepted! That's why I've never remembered!"  
  
"The Goblin King." Red-gold brows shot up sardonically. "Mulder, are you sure you're feeling okay? I know finding those things of Samantha's upset you, but if you're _still_ upset over it, maybe you should take the rest of the day off. I'll cover for you." She added under her breath, "Like I always do…"  
  
"Scully, I'm serious! It was Jareth, the Goblin King who took her! I saw him last night, and he told me! You can't tell me you don't believe this, not after all you've seen!"  
  
"Mulder, I've seen what looked like aliens, I've seen what looked like alien _ships_, and I've seen countless other unexplained phenomena. But if you expect me to say that I believe in a _Goblin_ king, then you're completely insane. This is worse than hunting for ghosts on Christmas Eve! I can't believe I'm even _listening_ to you!"  
  
"You never listen to me," Mulder said glumly. "But I know what I saw, and it was the Goblin King!" Suddenly, he looked up at the agent and grinned devilishly. "And I know how to prove it."  
  
"How…?" Scully asked warily. Mulder stood up from his desk.  
  
"I wish the goblins would come and take Scully away!"  
  
Two things happened then. Two young agents walked by Mulder's door just as he said the words and snickered to themselves, cracking jokes about Mulder hunting goblins instead of aliens, and a voice came out of nowhere chuckling, "Nice try, Fox. While you're at it, wish for a better name."  
  
"Nice effects, Mulder," Scully commented, "though I liked the added insult about your name. Makes it so much more believable."  
  
That night, despairing of ever proving Jareth's existence to Scully, Mulder visited his video collection.  
  



End file.
